Suitability and susceptibility of selected carbohydrate-based foods to cigarette beetle Lasioderma Serricorne (Fabricius) (Coleoptera: Anobiidae)

Kehinde A. KEMABONTA, Samuel A. BABARINDE, Chuks F. NWANADE, Olufunke D. OYEKUNLE 

Received 7 April 2020; accepted 20 May 2020 

Abstract: The cigarette beetle, Lasioderma serricorne (F.) (Coleoptera: Anobiidae), is a major insect pest that can cause total damage to durable stored commodities of plant and animal origin. It is a major pest of stored tobacco, flours, dry mixes, dried fruits and other products kept in kitchen cabinets, hurricane food supply storage containers, and other areas in the home. This study was carried out to evaluate the food preference of the cigarette beetle on five Nigerian carbohydrate-based foods: plantain chips, yam chips, yam flour, cassava flour and baked cassava flakes (garri) under laboratory conditions of 27.7 ± 3.9°C temperature and 78.7 ± 8.5% relative humidity. Ten 1-3 days old cigarette beetles were introduced into vials containing different food media and left to stand for 7 days. At the end of the 7 days period, the introduced adults was removed and data were collected on adult mortality, developmental period, the number of F1 emerged adults, weight loss of the kept food. The mean mortality recorded for cassava flakes (garri) (10.00) was significantly (p<0.05) higher than the values observed in other food produce. Also, there was neither adult emergence nor weight loss from cassava flakes (garri). Plantain chip had significantly (p<0.05) higher number of emerged adults (265.75) than the respective values in other studied food. Also, median development period (37.00) was lowest in plantain chips and the weight loss (2.55) from plantain chips was significantly (p<0.05) higher than that from other food produce. It was concluded that plantain chip was suitable for the growth and development of cigarette beetles; implying that it was susceptible to the infestation of the beetle. Hence, appropriate preservative measures need to be put in place in order to avoid the infestation and economic damage of plantain chips by L. serricorne.